A projected slowing in enrollment growth at county schools isn’t likely to help offset crowding issues, school officials say, signaling a long-term commitment to using portable classrooms.
The county Board of Education recently granted a one-year contract extension to Texas-based Aries Building Systems to lease the relocatable classrooms for $49,600 per unit for five years.
On Tuesday, the board is expected to approve a contract for an additional $8,500 per unit for architectural and engineering services for the classrooms in the 2019-2020 school year.
There are now 414 relocatable classrooms in use at county schools, for a cost of about $20.5 million over five years, or $5 million per year.
Parents and teachers generally dislike the use of portables largely because of safety concerns associated with less security and students having to travel from portables to the main building to use restrooms.
Summit Hall and Wilson Wims elementary schools tie for having the most portable classrooms, with 14. Wilson Wims, which opened in 2014 in Clarksburg, has nearly 500 more students than its school capacity allows, the most of all county schools, while Summit Hall in Gaithersburg is about 240 students over capacity.
Relocatable classrooms are placed on existing paved areas and are assigned based on projected student enrollment, staff allocations and school programming, according to school system documents.
Often called “portables,” the buildings can be moved from school to school as enrollment fluctuates and are typically assigned immediately after school dismisses for summer break in June. Each 816-square-foot portable can accommodate about as many students as a traditional classroom, a school spokesperson said.
The final quantity of relocatable classrooms required for the 2019-20 school year will be determined later when the student enrollment projections and staff allocations are completed, according to the school board’s resolution being considered Tuesday.
School officials anticipate enrollment will begin to slow next year after increasing by more than 2,000 students per year for the past decade, the spokesman said that will not offset construction needs.
“Even if we didn’t grow single new student next year somehow, we’re still over capacity at most of our schools and that won’t just go away,” said Derek Turner, the spokesman. “One thousand new students is still the size of a whole new elementary school.”
Ninety-six of the county’s 206 schools are overcapacity, according to school system data, and 87 have at least one relocatable classroom. Some schools have none, but county schools average about two relocatable classrooms each.
Crowding issues are most evident at the elementary school level, with 71 schools over capacity, 24 of which are more than 100 students over capacity.
Thirteen middle schools are over capacity, and 12 of 25 high schools are over capacity – 10 more than 100 over their enrollment cap.
Turner said the school system in May will release “key facility indicators,” a set of data points school leaders analyzed to determine which schools need projects and to help prioritize those needs. Generally, staff weighs projected enrollment growth and general upkeep and modernization needs, Turner said.
While schools wait for those projects — a handful are started or completed each year — they are outfitted with as many relocatable classrooms as needed to temporarily provide extra space.
Portable classrooms are regarded as cheaper and more immediate ways to address crowding than building school additions or renovating other spaces like office buildings.
School board president Shebra Evans highlighted an upcoming district wide boundary study as a solution that could help offset some crowding issues, though not all.
Evans said she believes the consultant hired to conduct the study will examine crowded schools and determine if there is a school nearby to which students can be shifted to even distribution.
“Then maybe we can provide some relief at adjacent schools that are under-enrolled,” Evans said. “I don’t think it will make a huge impact, but it will make an impact and it’s something we aren’t typically doing.”
Caitlynn Peetz can be reached at caitlynn.peetz@moco360.media
